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Pope Pius X: the ur-traditionalist
I’m thinking of the saying, made by a conservative wag a few years back, that any institution that is not explicitly conservative in its identity and mission will inevitably turn liberal over time. I’m also thinking of my own observation that a traditionalist (or a reactionary) is a person who perceives a mortal threat to his society the moment it appears, unlike a conservative, who only perceives the threat after the society is half-destroyed, and unlike a liberal, who only sees the threat after the society is completely destroyed. Well, here’s someone who really understood those principles, Pope St. Pius X, in his Oath Against Modernism, issued in 1910, and required of every priest and every person teaching in a Catholic school or seminary.
Here’s a Pope! He recognizes what is true, he recognizes what is false, and he draws a line between them. There are no major figures like this in our world today. Let us pray and work for their return! Email entry |